fungus

Question
QUESTION: thank you so much again for all of your help, you do not know how much we appreciate your time and fantastic advice!

I've printed off everything you have said and we will follow your advice religiously.

I'll let you know tomorrow how he is going, he seems to be very slowly regaining strength although he isn't swimming around at all. His eyes seem slightly less cloudy at least..
I'm just waiting for my boyfriend to finish work so that we can go down to the aquarium. We have Malafix already from a fungus he had earlier this year and will continue using that.

Thank you so much again, you're a real lifesaver.

Sally

ANSWER: You are very welcome, and I'm happy to know that his eyes are less cloudy.  The Melafix will help.  Keeping my fingers crossed that fungus doesn't set in, and it shouldn't seeing as he is in clean water.  
I'll be around tomorrow to see how he is.
Lynda

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QUESTION: Our oscar is doing really well! he is swimming around, and his eyes aren't very cloudy anymore!

We're so relieved. He just has some serious fin damage, and is looking very battered. But it looks like he will pull through! The only problem is that he is not eating, but hopefully he will soon.

We followed all of your advice, cleaning the tank upset him a lot and he was looking really unwell after we changed his water, but now we're really glad we did. Will just keep an eye out for any infection or fungus.

Thank you again!

Sally

ANSWER: Hi Sally,
Thank you for keeping me posted on your Oscar.  I was really surprised that he is swimming around,in such a short time!   This is  a very good sign!  He may be a few more days without food, but he will eat once he is feeling better.  Watch his fins, they should be getting better, and not look worse from day to day..
Thank you for keeping me posted, and I am so happy he is doing better today.
Lynda

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm so sorry to keep bothering you about our Oscar (who by the way is named Oscar, original we know!), but it seems he has gotten a fungus much to our dismay. It's green and cottony, on one of the gashes in his head, on his lip and the end of his fins which are slowly deteriorating.

He is looking well other then that, his behavior is more normal although he is no where near as animated as he usually is and still not eating.

What should we do?? We are using the melafix but that doesn't help with fungus does it?

Sally

Answer
Hi Sally,
I am a little afraid that your Oscar will also pick up parasites.  I don't want to alarm you, but he is weak, not eating, fungus has set in, and parasites attack weak fish, and I wouldn't want this to happen.  I would use coppersafe, combined with Maracyn, and Maracyn two.  There is no danger to combined these medications.  I would use the coppersafe for 30 days, and the Maracyn, and Maracyn two for 7 days.  I would also add 1 teaspoon of diluted aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water.  This will help him with stress, and parasites.  I always keep aquarium salt in my water.  When I do a water change, I add diluted salt to the amount of water I have taken out.  Salt cannot hurt fish, there is no danger in adding salt, it can only help him.  
Melafix helped him with cloudy eye, and I was hoping it would prevent him from getting fungus, but maybe his wounds were too deep, for the Melafix to work well.  I have used Melafix for cuts, and sores on fish with success, but with what you are telling me now, your Oscar needs a good antibiotic.
You are not bothering me, I wish I had seen this earlier, and hope you can make it to the pet store to buy the medication, as every minute counts.
Keep me posted please, and I hope the big guy makes it.
Lynda